Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-07-09
Cultivation OF Tea Roses,

The books either give difficult meth.
| DDS of caring for tea roses, or remark
| casually that they arc so cheap it is
not worth while to take much trouble.
! know that a few dollars spent each
year may in five years give a bed of
choice large bushes, with little hard
work. Start with a deeply dug, well
enriched plot, as wide as the length OF
a greenhouse sash, (about six fcet) and
| once, twice or more times as long as
the sash is wide, j.. e., three feet, six
feet, etc. Order the rose plants early.
but do not have them sent until proper
planting time, probably in May. Most
trustworthy houses will accommodate
customers in this way. Follow the di-
rections Of any good catalogue in
caring for The plants, setting them out
in even rows, as near as you "a Judge
wise. In autumn, rs the first light
frosts come, protect the roots by
mulching with leaves and n
Save a good pile of leaves in some
place where they will keep dry.
Now make or have made, rude
frames, each side made in a separate
piece, with a mortice or grove at each
end of two pieces SO that the other
pieces can slide down into them.
Then they have n hook and screw eve
at each corne In this way the frames
can be taken apart and piled away flat
each spring, and will last for years.
These frames should be rs deep from
front to back as a greenhouse sash,
and may be rs wide as one, or two
sashes, possible even nine feet. They
may be about three feet high at the
back, sloping a little to the front, like
any roof.
Secondhand sashcs can be bought
quite cheaply, and one can even turn
glazicr in necessity. repairing broken
places. Put the frames around the
roses as it gets colder, adding a few
more leaves. Two persons can set up
these side pieces, and n third can slip
in the back and front, even if it be
''only q woman" and two children TO
hold on. When real cold is TO be ex-
pected, (about Thanksgiving time)
cover several inches deep with dry
leaves, lightly thrown ON, and put on
the sashes; bank the frames wiki
leaves, litter manure, or anything,
so as to make all compact. Tall
bushes may be pruned, and bent down
without injury. Put on mats, boards,
or other protection, 10 guard the glass
against injury from heavy ice, etc,
but let this be only in the depth of
winter.
Perhaps roses under single (three
feet) frames do n little better than
under double frames, SO put tender
sorts, and dwarf growers there.
Queen Olga of Wirtemburg had last
autumn grown over six feet high, and
too large to clasp about for tying, so
my double frame was useful in giving
room for this bush to be bent down,
after being cut in severely.
Safrano, Bon Silene, and Sprunt
roses have wintered thus for eight
years, and are fine bushes now. Some
have died, but nearly always from
avoidable cause.
In the middle Of April, tea roses I'M
der my frames have leaves and full
shoots. Outside, the first crocus
bloomed at the same time. To keep
roses dry over winter seems the first
secret of success. Gradual hardening
to as much cold as they will ear with
out blackening is also necessary. |
am not yet done experimenting as to
early spring treatment, bu, incline TO
keeping the glass over them rather
late, givingair in good weather, avoid
ing much dampness. SO we may have
beautiful Tea and Bourbon roses. even
in the cold land of the Good House
kecptnQ.